OROP: Veterans not happy with Parrikar announcement, to continue agitation – here’s why

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday announced at a much-anticipated and closely-watched press conference that the Government of India has agreed to implement the One Rank, One Pension scheme demanded by retired army personnel who have been on a hunger-strike for nearly three months.

While TV screens misleadingly screamed ‘Government Delivers OROP’ and ‘Victory for Veterans’, and BJP supporters started congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media, the protesting veterans told the media at a press conference after the Minister’s announcement that they will not end their agitation and that they will decide in what form they will continue to protest. However, media reports suggest that they have called off their hunger strike. 

So what’s happening? What have the veterans welcomed, and what have they rejected? Veterans say that only 1 of their demands has been accepted.

ACCEPTED

Veterans are happy that the government has announced OROP, and that the definition of OROP is the same as what veterans had demanded.

NOT ACCEPTED

Veterans are unhappy that officers who have taken voluntary premature retirement will not be included in the OROP scheme (NDTV reports that the government has clarified that only those who took a premature retirement on their own to pursue civil careers will not benefit from OROP. Those who were forced to take a premature retirement due to reasons like medical conditions will also benefit from OROP. We do not know if veterans will agree to this.)

Veterans have rejected 5-year revision of OROP, they had demanded a revision of pension every 2 years

Veterans’ demand of OROP for disabled pensioners and for family pension has not been met

Government has announced a 1-man judicial committee on equalization for future decisions, but veterans wanted a 5-member committee

Government has said implementation of OROP will be from July 1, 2014, but veterans are not in agreement with that.

This is a developing story, will be updated as more details emerge